Strengthened team in Bangkok will help Thailand oil industry

A newly-strengthened inspection capability for Thailand's oil and petrochemicals industry was launched in Bangkok on September 21 by Inspectorate, the global commodity inspection leader and member of the BSI group of companies.

Inspectorate Thailand began operations only last year, and has rapidly become a thriving business, working with leading global companies like Shell and Caltex, along with well-known local companies including Thai Oil, Bangchak Petroleum, and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand.

The company has recruited additional experienced inspectors to boost its oil and petrochemicals team to 38, and its total staffing for the business, which also tests metals and minerals, to 90. This expansion has triggered the move to a new office, conveniently located in the prime commercial district of Bangna, close to the brand new Bangkok Exhibition Centre.

On the main road from Bangkok to Pattaya and Rayong, and a short distance from Bangkok port, this new operational centre puts Inspectorate in a strong position to help Thailand's oil and petrochemical companies win in world markets.

Alan Thompson, general manager of Inspectorate Thailand, said: "Inspectorate Thailand was established in April 2000 as part of a major expansion by Inspectorate in the Pacific Rim. An important area of the company's work is to support a major inspection contract for the Bangladesh government. We are working with most of the major oil companies, traders and ship-owners in Thailand, and our newly-strengthened capability will enable us to expand our services to them. In addition to the oil sector, we see the metal and minerals market as an important growth area for our inspection services."

Inspectorate Thailand inspects, analyses and certifies oil and petrochemical consignments from product movements covering transfers to and from ships, road tankers, and pipelines between refineries. Commodities inspected include crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, petrochemicals and chemical gases. The ships serviced by Inspectorate Thailand load, discharge or transfer their cargoes at numerous ports in Thailand when shipping between Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the Middle East, and within Thailand itself.

The company had previously operated from a much smaller office in Bangkok, which it quickly outgrew. The new 320 square-metre country headquarters includes extensive office facilities with state-of-the-art communications resources. It controls Inspectorate's operations in Thailand which includes a 15-strong office in Map Ta Phut, another office in Sri Racha, and four inspectors based in Hatyai.

Alan Thompson added: "This investment was made because of our increasing market share in Thailand, and to keep in tune with the country's intensive development schedule. We are delighted to participate in this expansion and provide a more comprehensive service to our clients."

The launch of Inspectorate Thailand's new capability was a prestigious event with around 100 guests including Inspectorate's oil-industry clients, as well as clients operating in the metals, minerals and vegetable oil markets. Also attending were representatives from the British Embassy, local business organisations and senior representatives from the Inspectorate's offices in Singapore and its global headquarters near London.

Inspectorate Thailand's new office facility is the latest to open in Inspectorate's development programme. The core objective of Inspectorate's global business is minimising risk, through independent inspection, analysis and testing. Its network of services now extends to 90 locations world-wide, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is backed by more than 1800 employees and 70 specialist laboratories

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